Track Day Gear Guide

Everything your car will need for a day of speed

So you finally went autocrossing in your GTI and have caught the bug. You want track events in your future, but you'll need some gear to make sure your car can keep up with your enthusiasm, especially if you need it to drive to work the next day.

Thankfully, we have some buddies who were kind enough to loan us some car equipment so we can showcase exactly what you'll need to get started on your path to club racing greatness and beyond. One such buddy is IMSA's official handtool sponsor, Sonic Tools, maker of professional-grade equipment that can be found in every garage of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Sonic 91-Piece Tool Case
The necessity for a comprehensive tool set goes without saying, and given its importance, we think quality should be of the utmost importance. This set from Sonic provides almost everything you'll need at the track in one compact, 55-pound package: wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, hex key (Allen) wrenches, measuring tape, and even a machinist hammer. The ABS plastic hard-shell case ensures these tools will live to make the hefty investment well worth it.
$1,149.99

Sonic 37-Piece 3/8-inch Wrench Socket and Ratchet Set
Should you wear through your brakes faster than your lap times (to name just one circumstance), this particular set of ratchets should come in handy.
$224.99

Sonic 1/2-inch Torque Wrench 20-200Nm
While you may just end up using it to ensure your wheels are properly torqued before each session, there's no telling what else you may need to use it for, should your engine not hold up to your ego.
$126.74

Sonic Floor Jack
Since this floor jack has an ultra-low profile of only 3.1 inches, even the lowest of cars will have no difficulty getting jacked up. And at only 22 pounds, it won't break your back before your car gets a crack at it.
$599.99

Craftsman Gloves
While these were advertised as carpenter's gloves, we choose them over the mechanic's gloves offered by Craftsman due to the hard rubber that lines the gloves at the most knuckle-grazing spots.
$24.99

Black & Decker AirStation ASI300
Maximizing your speed around the track will involve monitoring and messing with your tire pressures. Thankfully, you don't need to be by a gas station or an electrical wall outlet to run this sucker (or should we say blower?) that operates on both 12 and 110 volts.
$39.99 (priced from amazon.com)

DeWalt Cordless Impact Wrench DCF899P2
You'll need to break bolts loose while at the track, and this cordless impact wrench will deliver the punch you need with a 20-volt MAX system.
$434 (priced from amazon.com)

DeWalt 20V MAX LED Work Light DCL040
With 110 lumens on tap, this will certainly help you shine more light onto the subject while under the car or during a night track event like Lemons racing. As an added plus, this runs on the same battery pack as the cordless impact wrench featured here.
$49 (Priced from amazon.com)

JackPoint Jackstands
Unless you'd like to drive that big track in the sky at some point soon, jackstands are mandatory when working underneath your car. We favor these particular stands for their use of the same point that you use to jack—thus flexible with cars that have limited jacking points. And hey, even Leno uses them.
$299